The station's history can be traced back to 1959, where the establishment of its predecessor, KCND-TV, was announced on February 20. It went on the air in Pembina, North Dakota on channel 12 in November 1960. However, the station depended almost entirely on advertising from Winnipeg. In February 1973, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that it had received two applications to start a new television station in Winnipeg. One application had been submitted by Western Manitoba Broadcasters Ltd., the parent company of CKX-TV in Brandon. The other application had been received from Continental Communications Ltd. of Vancouver, represented by Ray Peters, the president of Vancouver CTV affiliate CHAN-TV.[1]

Subsequently, Peter Liba, who was then the executive assistant to Manitoba Liberal Party leader Izzy Asper, spotted the advertisement from the CRTC soliciting competing applications for the new Winnipeg television licence. Liba suggested that he and Asper make a bid.[2] Wanting to save money on buying the needed equipment, Asper decided to use KCND's assets to build his planned station. Asper flew to Texas and back many times over the next few months to convince KCND's owner, Gordon McLendon, to sell the station's assets. He finally convinced McLendon that a new Winnipeg station would likely hurt KCND, since Winnipeg advertisers would probably no longer be allowed to deduct their American advertising costs from their taxes for much longer.

McLendon sold the station's facilities and equipment to Canwest Broadcasting, established by Asper and partners Paul Morton and Seymour Epstein, for $780,000, contingent on Canwest securing a broadcasting licence. At the CRTC's public hearings in Winnipeg in May 1974, Canwest noted that the acquisition of KCND would give their new Winnipeg station a $2 million advertising base and would save $1.5 million in capital and start-up costs compared to the alternative of launching a completely new station.[3]

At the same hearing, competing applications were presented by Communications Winnipeg Co-Op, which proposed a member-supported non-commercial station, and Western Manitoba Broadcasters Ltd. which, like Canwest, proposed an independent commercial station. (Continental Communications had withdrawn its application prior to the public hearings.) John Boler, the owner of Valley City-Fargo, North Dakota CBS affiliate KXJB-TV and future owner of KVRR/KNRR, also used the occasion to announce his intention to launch a new Pembina-based station on channel 12.[3]

In September 1974, the CRTC awarded the Winnipeg channel 9 licence to Canwest, which formally took possession and assumed day-to-day management of KCND-TV on March 31, 1975 (due to foreign ownership restrictions, the McLendon Corporation remained the official licensee of KCND until it surrendered the station's broadcasting licence to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission later that same year). The same month, Canwest confirmed that the new station would operate from a former supermarket at 603 St. Mary's Road in Winnipeg and use an antenna mounted on the CBWT tower in Starbuck to avoid having to dismantle KCND's tower during the transition.[4] In May 1975, Canwest announced that KCND's 17 Winnipeg-based employees had all accepted offers of employment at the new station, but that there was little interest among the station's 22 Pembina-based employees.[5]

The CKND ribbon logo was used for about 20 years from 1975-1994.

During Labour Day weekend, on August 31, 1975, CKND signed on channel 9 (broadcast) and channel 12 (cable), both shown prominently in the station's logo. Both CKND and KCND simulcasted the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon until 5:30 p.m. on September 1, 1975, after which KCND permanently left the air.

The former KCND tower was later moved to Asper's birthplace of Minnedosa, a small town 46 kilometres (29 mi) north of Brandon, to serve western Manitoba. Together, the two transmitters reach 91% of Manitoba's population. CKND's first program that night was Introducing CKND at 9 p.m., followed by the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon at 9:30 p.m.[6][7] Its first regularly scheduled program following the telethon was The Hollywood Squares at 5:30 p.m.[8]

In 1981, KCND became the call letters for KCND-FM, the first Prairie Public Radio (now North Dakota Public Radio) station in Bismarck, North Dakota. The same year, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission issued a construction permit for a new station to serve Pembina, North Dakota on channel 12.[9] The station's launch, however, would remain delayed until 1986.

During the June 1981 Hearing to extend CKND-TVs signal into the Westman area and to hear the application by Western Manitoba Broadcasters Ltd. (Craig) for a new television station at Portage la Prairie, CanWest said that the Westman transmitter on a VHF channel would reach up to 175,000 more viewers than with the CKND-TV Winnipeg signal. The signal would stretch from the US border to Dauphin, and from Central Manitoba to Saskatchewan.[10]

At an April 1982 CRTC Hearing regarding licensing a new television station for southern Manitoba, CanWest stated that while they were given VHF channel 2 to operate the CKND-TV2 rebroadcaster, they could have used VHF channel 13 instead.[11] CanWest also stated that it would require a population of over 100,000 to serve the Interlake area with two or three UHF transmitters, rather than the 30,000 that existed at the time.

On air signal testing on channel 2 with colour bars, test slides and test programming began in early August. CKND-TV-2 began broadcasting at 6 PM September 1, 1982 with an introductory program for WestMan viewers Launch of CKND-TV2 hosted by Brian Swain. A second 30 minute program afterwards, Eye on WestMan hosted by David Laurence.[12] Cable-tv viewers in Dauphin were unable to watch the launch of CKND-TV-2 channel 2 because the cable company, Westman Media Co-op, did not have an antenna ready to receive the new signal.[13]

The last logo used by CKND before adopting the Global brand.

The first logo used while as Global Manitoba.

On January 1, 1986, channel 12 returned in Pembina, North Dakota, as KNRR, a satellite of independent stationKVRR (channel 15) in Fargo. Canadian cable providers were prohibited from distributing the signal, however, by an October 1986 CRTC decision in response to broadcaster concerns about the "potentially damaging effect of this station by providing Canadian advertisers with access to large amounts of commercial airtime at rates substantially lower than those they would be obliged to pay Canadian television licensees in order to reach the same potential audience."[14] As the satellite station was never profitable due to its location, as well as its difficulties in being able to reach the Winnipeg audience, KNRR went off the air from June to October 2009 as the station did not upgrade to a digital signal.

CKND-DT presently broadcasts 24½ hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 4½ hours on weekdays, and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays). On November 14, 2009, the station introduced a weekend evening 10 p.m. newscast. In December 2009, longtime anchor Eva Kovacs announced that she would be leaving CKND after nearly twelve years with the station, to work for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority in 2010. Her last day was December 18, 2009 and Shannon Martin was named as her replacement. Her departure came only a few months after lead weather anchor Andrea Slobodian and reporter Meera Bahadoosingh left for Shaw TV Calgary and Winnipeg respectively, and nightwatch reporter/anchor Trina Maus left for CKVR-TV in Barrie, Ontario.

The spring and summer of 2011 brought a few high-profile departures to the station; first weekend anchor and reporter Nicole Dube left to become the Manitoba correspondent for Sun News Network. Next Dube's replacement; Lindsay Warner left the station to become the late night anchor at CKY-DT, lead weather anchor Craig Larkins left for CFRN-DTEdmonton in July, and in late August it was announced that senior anchor Shannon Martin would also be leaving to pursue her career in Ontario. Her last broadcast was September 2, 2011. That same month, it was announced that Kate Gajdosik would be the new weather/community anchor, joining the station from CIVT-DTVancouver; she made her debut on September 12, 2011.

On September 7, 2011, it was announced that Shaw Media would be continuing its expansion of political programming, Global News will be launching provincial half-hour political programs in several markets. Similar in format to Global Toronto's Focus Ontario and Global Montreal's Focus Montreal, these new political programs launched in Saskatchewan on CFRE-DT and CFSK-DT, as well as CKND, on October 15, 2011. In late 2011[when?], Global Winnipeg became the first television station in Manitoba to broadcast its local news in high definition.[citation needed]

On February 6, 2012, CKND launched a three-hour weekday morning newscast, airing from 6-9 a.m. Around the same time, CKND also acquired a news helicopter; Skyview 1, becoming the first television station in Winnipeg to operate a helicopter for breaking news and traffic reporting.[15][16] The chopper was grounded in the summer of 2017. On August 20, 2012, CKND expanded its half-hour 10pm newscast to one hour, which was re-titled from Prime News to News Hour Final, cancelling their 30-minute 11pm newscast, News Final.[17]

Starting April 11, 2016, Global Winnipeg, along with all of Global's O&Os, rebranded its news programs. All of their news programs received new names: Morning News to Global News Morning, Evening News to Global News at 6, and News Hour Final (News Final) to Global News at 10.[20]

On July 27, 2018, longtime Global Winnipeg personality and anchor of Global News at 6, Lauren McNabb, left the station to go to sister radio station, Global News Radio 680 CJOB, to co-host their morning show. Her replacement is Heather Steele, who was already co-anchor of Global News at 6, before her maternity leave in 2017.[21]

On Saturday April 13, 2019, Eva Kovacs announced on Facebook that she would be departing the station for the second time. Before becoming the station's Community Producer, she anchored Global News Morning (then Morning News) from 2012-2015.[22]Global News at 6 anchor Heather Steele announced on May 15, 2019 that she would be departing the station for a new role at sister station Global News Radio 680 CJOB. Steele officially departed Global Winnipeg on July 12, 2019. On July 25, 2019, Global Winnipeg announced that Steele's replacement would be Lisa Dutton, former anchor of Global News Morning at Global Saskatoon. She officially started on July 30, 2019.

Global News Morning - airing from 6-9am CT on weekdays. Global News Morning is anchored by Malika Karim alongside Kahla Evans as weather specialist and Connor Chan as Field Reporter. Long-time weather specialist Mike Koncan announced on November 25, 2016 that he would be leaving Global News Morning to begin presenting the weather on Global News at 6 and Global News at 10. Adriana Zhang joined the show on March 6, 2017 as the new weather specialist, where she stayed until December 21, 2018 when she left Global Winnipeg for CTV Calgary.[23] On April 5, 2019, Shannon Cuciz announced on Instagram that the following week would be her last.[24] Her final newscast aired on April 12, 2019. Her official replacement is Gabrielle Marchand, formerly weekend anchor at CTV Winnipeg. Gabrielle Marchand takes over as anchor in late September 2019.

Global News at 6 - airing from 6-6:30pm CT daily. Global News at 6 is anchored by Lisa Dutton alongside Mike Koncan as weather specialist. Until September 2015, Global News at 6 was presented by long-time Global News anchor, Peter Chura. He was let go from the station and ran as a candidate for the Manitoba Liberal Party for Seine River in the 2016 Manitoba General Election. On February 9, 2016, Global Winnipeg announced that Lauren McNabb would join Heather Steele on the anchor desk for Global News at 6. Lauren started on February 29, 2016 and anchored her final newscast on July 27, 2018.[25] On November 3, 2016, weather specialist Michelle Lissel announced her departure from the station.[26] Her replacement is Mike Koncan, former weather specialist on Global News Morning. Global News Senior Anchor Heather Steele departed the station on July 12, 2019 and was replaced by Lisa Dutton. On the weekends, Global News at 6 is produced in Toronto and is anchored by Mark Carcasole with Ross Hull on weather and Anthony Bruno with sports.

Global News at 10 - airing from 10-11pm CT on weekdays. Global News at 10 is anchored by Kevin Hirschfield and Lisa Dutton, with Mike Koncan presenting weather and Russ Hobson anchoring sports. Global Toronto anchor Crystal Goomansingh also joins the show for 10 minutes to present national and international news stories. From September 2015 until January 2019, the show was anchored and produced out of Toronto and was anchored by Crystal Goomansingh and Antony Robart. Prior to that, Global News at 10 (then News Hour Final) was produced locally and anchored by Heather Steele.

Global News at 10 (Weekend) - airing from 10-10:30pm CT on weekends. Global News at 10 is produced in Toronto and is anchored by Mark Carcasole with Mike Arsenault on weather. Sports is anchored by Megan Robinson.

Focus Manitoba - airing Saturdays and Sundays from 6:30-7pm CT, Focus Manitoba is Global Winnipeg's current affairs program. Starting on March 3, 2016, Focus Manitoba is hosted by Brittany Greenslade[27] after former host, Lauren McNabb, was moved to the weekday edition of Global News at 6. New episodes are produced from September–April.

Prime News/News Final - Prime News was Global Winnipeg's former 10pm newscast. Prime News aired from 10-10:30pm daily. It was followed by News Final on weekdays at 11pm. In August 2012, Prime News was extended to one hour and became News Hour Final (now Global News at 10), with the 11pm News Final being cancelled.

On December 16, 2010, CKND-TV commenced broadcasting of its digital signal on channel 40 from Canwest Place (now named 201 Portage). CKND shut down its analog signal on August 28, 2011, three days before most Canadian television stations in CRTC-designated mandatory markets were required to transition from analogue to digital broadcasts, CKND-TV's digital signal remained on UHF channel 40.[30] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display CKND-TV's virtual channel as 9.1.